Assessing the practicum: The NIE experience

Abstract

Assessment of the practicum is always a problematic procedure in any teacher education institution. Those involved in this activity are normally charged with administrative as well as professional problems and issues. This paper examined the professional issues of why assess the practicum, what to assess in the practicum and how to go about it to realize maximum effects in the development of professionals in the teaching profession. In the past, the National Institute of Education (NIE) used an evaluation form called the Assessment of Performance in Teaching (APT) to help supervisors ensure reliability in assessing student-teachers (STs) performance under their care. The past model involved a lot of lecturers as supervisors and each time they visited the STs they used the APT forms together with verbal as well as written reports to formatively and summatively evaluate STs’ performance, together with reports and assessments carried out by the school cooperating teachers (CTs). Presently the numbers of students aspiring to become teachers have increased to such an extent that it becomes no longer feasible for lecturers to supervise all STs adequately. Hence a new Partnership Model evolved, involving the school personnel more in the assessment process. This paper documents the changes as efforts to improve practicum assessment need to be continuously improved and reflect upon progressively.